text:
Engineered Card: Part II
Viewer Comments
This was my first time viewing this web page. I truly enjoyed the webisode on card making. Great ideas. I have added this web site to my favorites.
Your webisodes are wonderful! I never miss one! Being an ipod owner I would love to see the webisodes available for ipod download, especially the ones for cards.
Thanks to everyone for the effort in putting together the week of webisodes. Fabulous ideas. I'm relatively new to papercrafting and am focusing on card making. Paper Wishes has fast become my favorite source. I've ordered all the Dazzles and subscribed to the card maker Personal Shopper. Thanks again!
Yesterday's and today's engineered cards are the best ever. I can't wait to make just about every one of them. I already made the shaped-flower one. Cute! Thanks!
Great job, Paulette! You have all have outdone themselves with this week of webisodes! I'll be teaching card-making classes this fall and can't wait to see everyone's eyes light up with these gorgeous cards -- well, they're not cards - they're works of art!! Thank you SO MUCH!
Thanks for the episodes. Always look forward to them, weekly and now have had every day. Really like the ones on cards. Thanks for instructions and the looks inside. Please continue with them.
This WOW has been inspiring! Great cards!
These webisodes are awesome!
So many fun new ideas. Like going to a class right at home-for some who don't have time to go to classes.Thanks!
I am really enjoying all these Webisodes. I have so many ideas running around my head, it hurts. I can't stay away from my craft table, and I can't wait until tomorrows' Webisode to see what else I can learn. This is the best idea ever! Thank you so much PaperWishes.
I love your webisodes and the fact that you include the materials at a discount.
Please keep them coming.
This is the best WOW so far! What a dream for card makers, like me! I especially like that the inside of the cards are decorated also. Thanks PJ!
I just love the cards,Good work to the Designer
I can't thank you enough for showing how we can use your wonderful projects. No more getting "stuck"!
This is the cream of the crop. Your designer has outdone herself. Give her lots of praise
What another great episode! So, so many ideas and lessons -hard to decide where to start. Please keep these episodes coming. I look forward to getting them so very much.
What a great episode! So, so many ideas and lessons -hard to decide where to start. Please keep these episodes coming. I look forward to getting them so very much.
I love these shows because they give you new ideas and new ways of looking at things. Wow! what would I do without you guys...
Thank you so much for your week of cardmaking webisodes. I am learning soo much. Can't wait to try the kimono card!!
Another idea packed webisode! The kimono card was a big surprise for how easy it was. I'm leaving my job and making cards for all my staff - this WOW is perfect timing for me.
The cards are just beautiful. Thank you for these webisodes I look forward to these.
Paper Wishes Weekly Webisodes feature free scrapbooking video classes and card making video classes! Every week Paulette and LeNae bring you new online scrapbooking or card making classes demonstrating the very latest paper craft and scrapbooking techniques. Each of our free card making and scrapbooking classes also gives you unique project ideas and tips from Paper Wishes' Design Team. Come back often so you don't miss any of the fun in our card making and scrapbooking classes! You are sure to be inspired! Also watch for our "Week of Webisodes" events where we feature new scrapbooking video classes daily!


text:
Rinne Allen
Here, tiny puffs of amaranth and crunchy, nutty toasted wheat berries are suspended in lightly sweetened, tangy whipped cream and yogurt, along with whatever fresh fruit you have on hand. Serve it as a special breakfast treat, or add a little more sugar and call it dessert.
- Yield
- Serves 3 to 4
- 1/4 cup (45 g) raw wheat berries
- 1/4 cup (50 g) raw amaranth
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
- Sugar or vanilla sugar to taste (about 1 1/2 teaspoons)
- 1 cup (240 ml) plain yogurt
- 1 1/2 cups (340 g) fresh berries, pitted cherries, or diced cantaloupe or honeydew melon
- Heat a small, heavy stainless-steel sauté pan over high heat. Add the wheat berries and cook, shaking the pan frequently, until they crackle and swell up and are just starting to color, about 2 minutes. Remove to a bowl.
- To the same pan over high heat, add half of the amaranth, cover immediately, and cook until the grains are all popped, no longer than 30 seconds. Immediately dump them in the bowl with the wheat berries and repeat with the remaining amaranth. Toss to combine the grains, then divide them among serving bowls.
- Whip the cream with about 3/4 teaspoon sugar until soft peaks form. In a separate bowl, whisk the yogurt together with about 3/4 teaspoon sugar until smooth. Gently fold the cream into the yogurt, then dollop the mixture onto the grains and cover the top with fruit. Serve, or gently fold the grains, cream, and fruit together before serving.
From Whole Grains for a New Generation: Light Dishes, Hearty Meals, Sweet Treats, and Sundry Snacks for the Everyday Cook by Liana Krissoff. Copyright © 2012 Liana Krissoff; photographs copyright © 2012 Rinne Allen. Published in 2012 by Stewart, Tabori & Chang, an imprint of ABRAMS.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Ann Stratton
Reduced-fat ingredients create a light, creamy cake.
- Crust
- 2 tablespoon slivered blanched almonds
- Vegetable oil cooking spray
- 6 chocolate wafers
- Filling
- 15 ounces (1 3/4 cups) part-skim ricotta
- 8 ounces lowfat cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup lowfat sour cream
- 1 large whole egg
- 2 egg whites
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (or to taste)
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon amaretto (if desired)
- 3 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon instant-espresso powder
- 3 tablespoon bittersweet chocolate chips
- Heat oven to 350°. Toast almonds on a small baking sheet for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven; reduce heat to 325°. Coat an 8-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Wrap outside of pan in foil to prevent seepage. Process chocolate wafers and almonds in a food processor until fine crumbs. Sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoon crumbs onto bottom of pan (just enough to coat bottom lightly). Shake pan to distribute evenly. Reserve remaining crumbs.
- Filling:
- Purée ricotta in a food processor until smooth, about 1 minute. Add cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, egg, egg whites, almond extract, flour and salt; puree until smooth. Whisk amaretto, if desired (or same amount of hot water), 2 tablespoon hot water, cocoa powder and espresso powder in a bowl until well combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Stir 1 cup plain filling into chocolate mixture. Set aside. Pour remaining plain filling into prepared pan. Drizzle chocolate filling in a circular pattern over plain filling. Using a knife, make circular strokes to create swirls in the plain filling. Add 1 inch hot water to a shallow baking pan; place springform pan in baking pan. Bake until cheesecake is firm around the edge and slightly soft in the center, 45 to 55 minutes. Run a knife around inside of pan. Remove foil; let cool on a rack. Chill 6 hours or overnight before removing sides of pan. Press reserved crumbs onto side of cheesecake.
Nutritional analysis per serving: 223 calories per serving, 9.7 g fat* (5.4 g saturated), 26.2 g carbs, 0.9 g fiber, 8.4 g protein


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Ruslan Tsarni speaks out about his relationship with his nephews, who he says he hasn't seen in years, saying "somebody radicalized them" and "I just wanted my family to be away from them."
The militant group responsible for the Chechen insurgency cast doubt Friday on allegations that the two known suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing – who are of Chechen origin – carried out the attacks.
The official media arm of the Chechen mujahedeen, the Kavkaz Center, published a blog post that suggested the investigation into Monday's deadly attack is part of an anti-Chechnya "PR campaign."
The Kavkaz Center mocked the "lightning speed" at which the two known suspects in the attack on the Boston Marathon – Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, who was at large on Friday, and his brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, who was killed in a firefight with law enforcement – were identified. The group called the investigation "completely muddled."
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in December 1991, Chechen fighters have waged a violent struggle against the Kremlin, leading to two bloody wars and the loss of hundreds of thousands of civilian lives.
In a translation of the blog provided by Evan Kohlmann, an NBC News security analyst, the Chechens questioned the logic that the Tsarnaev brothers could be terrorists because their actions seemed so ham-handed.
"The news that the brothers attacked police officers, carjacked a man and did an array of other things, instead of going into hiding, looks strange at the very least," the article said.
NBC's Richard Engel discusses the recent history of unrest in the Caucasus where the suspects in the Mass. terror attacks are believed to have been raised for the early part of their lives.
The blog also argued that the younger brother, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was "very far from your typical 'Islamic terrorist.' He named career and money as his main credo. What's more, he just logged onto his Russian social networking site a few hours ago."
Chechen insurgents have claimed responsibility for a series of dramatic kidnappings and attacks, including on a hospital in southern Russia, a Moscow theater in 2002 (where all 40 insurgents and 130 out of some 800 hostages were killed by noxious gas pumped into the theater by Russian commandos), and a school in Beslan, Russia (where over 380 people, including several hundred children died in what critics called a heavy-handed "rescue attempt" by Russian police).
If a connection between the marathon bombing suspects and Chechen separatists was established, it would mark the first time militants from the former Soviet republic have launched a deadly attack outside Russia.
The bombing suspects' uncle Ruslan Tsarni pleads for his nephew Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the marathon bombing suspect who is on the loose after his accomplice brother died in a shootout with police, to turn himself in.
The insurgency's blog concluded that the campaign to implicate a Chechen connection was likely orchestrated by Russia's President Vladamir Putin ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, a Russian Black Sea resort which is located only a few hundred miles from the border with Chechnya.
Putin has long justified repression in the region as attacks on so-called "separatists" and "terrorists."
The blog also noted that the spokesperson for Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of the Chechen Republic and a former rebel, wasn't even taking phone calls because he didn't want to talk about the events in Boston.
In a passionate interview with reporters Friday, the brothers' uncle, Ruslan Tsarni, also vehemently denied that there was any connection to the Chechen insurgency.
"This has nothing to do with Chechnya. Chechens are peaceful people," he said.
Tsarni insisted that the young men's actions were apolitical and offered his own explanation for them. "Being losers, hatred to those who were able to settle themselves, these are the only reasons I can imagine of. Anything else, anything else to do with religion, with Islam – it's a fraud, it's a fake."
NBC News' Jim Maceda and Petra Cahill contributed to this article.
Related links:
Suspects to carjack victim: We are the bombersWho are the brothers accused of the Boston Marathon bombing?
What motivated bombing suspects? 'Being losers,' uncle says
An empty metropolis: Photos show deserted streets of Boston
What we know: Timeline of terror hunt
'Dedicated officer' gunned down by Boston Marathon suspects at MIT
Slideshow: Bombings at Boston Marathon
Boston bombing spurs Senate debate on tighter immigration screening
Photos from Bostonians locked down amid terror hunt
Tweeting police chatter creates confusion over Boston suspect


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Merry Christmas Dog Lovers - Christmas Dog
Here's a little smile, some words of cheer, a bit of love for dog lovers around the world and their beloved dogs. Here's my Christmas dog lover wishes and best wishes for the coming year.
Let this Christmas wave a magic wand over your world and let the Lord's blessings on you turn all things golden for you.


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The 100 Castles and Palaces Route offers a truly majestic experience for cyclists. More than 100 castles, palaces and stately residences follow one after the other along the route.
On each of the four interconnecting circular tours, it's entirely up to you where you start and finish. Covering between 210 and 310 kilometres in length, they wind their way through the open countryside of the Münsterland region. The main attractions along the way are often just a few miles apart. Whether in Versailles-like gardens or buildings of the Gothic, Renaissance or baroque, the glorious heyday of knights, barons and princes is brought to life in a succession of well-preserved monuments erected for grandeur or protection. The Münsterland region also has a great many facilities for cyclists, where you can do everything from hiring a bike to getting it fixed.
Terrain: mainly flat routes, mostly on cyclist-only paths or asphalt farm tracks away from busy roads. There are one or two gradients to tackle in the north.
Scenery: the circular routes run mostly through leafy parks, meadows and pastureland and visit the finest palaces, castles and stately homes in the Münsterland region for a cultural and historical experience to remember.
Két hasznos billentyűkombináció a böngészőn belüli zoomoláshoz:
Nagyítás: +
Kicsinyítés: +
További segítséget az alábbi ikonra kattintva kaphat:


text:
Neurosky mindwave and Emotiv Epoc are the leading EEG headsets for the consumer market. If you compare Neurosky mindwave vs Emotiv Epoc, some differences are evident:
– NeuroSky Mindwave and MindSet use inexpensive dry sensors, and has built in electrical "noise" reduction software/hardware. NeuroSky devices are powered by a maximum of 3 dry sensors. It is the least expensive EEG device to ever be produced, and can be used both as an education and entertainment device.
– Emotiv Epoc, manufactured by Emotiv Systems, has 14 electrodes. The headset must first be "trained" to recognize what kind of neural activity equates to a specific bodily action. It can measure four categories of inputs, including emotions like "Excitement", "Engagement/Boredom", and "Frustration".
If you want to experience some of the opportunities offered by Neurosky mindwave and Emotiv Epoc, even before buying one or both of them, you can use Mind WorkStation (free trial, and 10% discount on purchase) and Neuro-Programmer (free trial, and 10% discount on purchase) which are available both as Neurosky mindwave app and Emotiv Epoc software.


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A critical Windows patch released last week is tripping up third party applications thereby causing interference to the smooth running of Microsoft's operating system. The MS06-015 update is designed to fix a serious security flaw in Windows Explorer but in doing so it can interfere with HP's Share-to-Web software which ships with digital cameras, scanners and some HP CD-and DVD drives.
Microsoft's patch adds a executable file called Verclsid.exe, which validates shell extensions before they are loaded by the Windows Shell or Windows Explorer. HP's Share-to-Web Namespace Daemon (Hpgs2wnd.exe) causes Verclsid.exe to stop responding. Sunbelt Kerio Personal Firewall asks for user approval before allowing Verclsid.exe to do its work. When this occurs, Verclsid.exe's execution stops until the user clicks through Kerio's notification dialog.
Symptoms of either of these problems can include an inability to use the My Documents folder properly, frustration when typing in the url of sites you might want to visit or a variety of other glitches in Windows. Microsoft has published an advisory explaining these problems and documenting suggested fixes here. ®


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The Knit Kid
I love this hand knitted line, so many great colors together and it makes me like knit so much more. I'm seriously thinking about buying one of those collars.
Other Stories
9 comments:
Sooo beautiful!ReplyDelete
I really love the red collar.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMay 26, 2012
I feel like a lot of your necklaces would look amazing with some of these pieces.ReplyDelete
wow - finally beautiful and stylish homemade knits. love them all.ReplyDelete
The colors are so beautiful! Now I want one of the collars, too... Trying to think what in my wardrobe would work with it...ReplyDelete
Love it!! The last dress is beautiful. They wouldn't work in the Maltese weather though.ReplyDelete
Wow. I want them all!ReplyDelete
So pretty! I love the textures and colors! :)ReplyDelete
wow, wow and wow!!!!!!ReplyDelete
Thank you for your comments, I love hearing from you!
Questions, comments or sponsorship inquires, please contact me via the 'contact' link.


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- Home
- Find a home
- Retirement Living
- Wimbourne
WimbourneEnquire now
- 2 Bedrooms
- £300,000
- Bath Road, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX16 0TU
- Apartment
Property features
At Park Gardens we're creating a brand new retirement community. Set on the site of the former Banbury College, Park Gardens is just a short stroll from Banbury town centre with its shops, restaurants and leisure facilities.
Creating greater independence and peace of mind for you to enjoy later life to the full, Park Gardens offers the best of all worlds, ideally situated to enjoy all that glorious Banbury has to offer.
Click here to find out more about life at Park Gardens, Banbury
Park Gardens is the perfect place to enjoy the next exciting chapter of your life. With 78 beautiful 1 and 2 bedroom apartments exclusively built to help you get the most out of your retirement, you can be sure that your new home at Park Gardens offers all the safety and security you need without compromising on style and quality. Register your interest using the form below.
Enquire now!
If you are interested in applying for this one bedroom apartment set in this sought after central location in Banbury then please complete the form below or call us on 01295 272848.
Feature List
- Exclusively for people 55+
- Convenient central Banbury location
- Choice of 78 one and two bedroom apartments
- Affordable tenure options
- On-site team providing emergency assistance 24/7
- Tailored support, from domestic help to personal care
- Café bistro and lounge
- Activity Studio & fitness Gym
- Hair and Beauty Salon
- Landscaped gardens
- On-site car-parking*
Beautifully designed for comfortable living
The apartments are modern, beautifully appointed and stylish, but also carefully designed for people in later life, with sensible energy efficient heating and thoughtfully positioned plug sockets, telephone and satellite connection points.
Fitted kitchens incorporate easy-to-use eye level oven, ceramic hob and integral fridge-freezer, with space for a dishwasher, while bathrooms have slip-resistant flooring and easy-turn lever taps, and every room has an emergency pull cord linked to our round the clock response team. For extra security there's an entry system so you can see who's there without opening the door.
Floor plans and apartments:
Take a look at the Park Gardens floor plans and apartment types brochure.
Be active or relaxed as you choose
With an on-site café bistro and lounge where you can relax, read the papers or enjoy a drink and snack with friends, Park Gardens also offers an activity studio where you can share hobbies and interests such as arts and crafts. There'll also be a hair and beauty salon and a fitness gym on site, with a personal trainer who can work with you on an exercise programme to suit your individual needs. Find out more.
Care and support on hand if and when you need it
At Park Gardens you can be assured knowing that our dedicated care and support team is on-site around the clock, 365 days a year, providing a fast response in case of an emergency. The team can provide support and care in your own homes ranging from assistance with everyday domestic tasks to personal care, so you can enjoy peace of mind, knowing that we can tailor an appropriate package of support to meet your personal needs. Find out more.
Park Gardens is exclusively for people aged 55+ who want to enjoy later life more.
If you are interested in applying for this large two bedroom apartment in the old School House set in this tranquil, sought after area then please complete the form below or call us on 01295 272848.


text:
China has ratified major international documents with regard to children's rights protection. China's domestic legislation also provides protection for a wide range of children's rights. The reality, however, is disputable. Few accurate statistics could be obtained directly from the official source. In practice, enforcement of the treaty obligations and the legislative declarations remains a huge problem.
The People's Republic of China (PRC)[1] declares that it protects a wide range of children's rights through domestic legislation and by ratifying and joining the relevant international treaties. The PRC Constitution provides for the state protection of children, and prohibits maltreatment of children.[2] Among many laws and regulations providing children's rights protection, the primary law in this field is ThePRC Law on the Protection of Minors (first passed in 1991, revised in 2006) (Minors Protection Law).[3] The newly revised Minors Protection Law entered into force on June 1, 2007.[4] This law sets up responsibilities of the families, the schools, and the government with regard to the protection of children's rights, and judicial protection, as well.[5]
Children under Chinese Law
Eighteen is the age of majority in China. Under the Minors Protection Law, "minors" are defined as citizens less than eighteen years old.[6] The civil law of China provides that people above eighteen years old and those from sixteen to eighteen who make a living on their own have full civil conduct capacity. [7] People aged from ten to eighteen have limited capacity of civil conduct, and may only engage in civil activities appropriate to the age range and intellect. People under ten years old have no civil conduct capacity.[8] Unless otherwise indicated, "children" or "minors" hereinafter refers to people under the age of eighteen.
Implementation of International Rights of the Child
Major international documents relating to children's rights that the PRC government has signed and ratified are as follows:
- U.N. Convention on Rights of the Child 1989 (CRC) (Entry into force for China: April 1, 1992);[9]
- Optional Protocol to the Convention on Rights of Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution, and Child Pornography 2000 (Entry into force for China: January 3, 2003);[10]
- International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 1966 (Entry into force for China: June 27, 2001);[11]
- The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women 1979 (Entry into force for China: December 3, 1981);[12]
- Worst Forms of Child Labor Convention 1999 (Entry into force for China: August 8, 2003);[13]
- The Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption 1993 (Receipt of Instrument: September 16, 2005).[14]
It is worth noting that when deciding on ratification of the CRC, the PRC Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC, China's top legislative body) made a reservation to Article 6 of the CRC on the inherent right to life, stating that China shall fulfill its obligation provided by this article under the prerequisite of planned birth provided by Article 25 of the PRC Constitution.[15]
In addition, China signed but did not ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 1966 on October 5, 1998, which, up to now, has not taken effect in China.[16]
With regard to the implementation of its promises for international cooperation, the Chinese government reported in its 2004 human rights white paper that it "conscientiously wrote its first reports on the implementation of the "International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights" and the "Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography."[17] It also claimed to have held a seminar on the questionnaire of the UN Independent Expert on Violence against Children, "given an honest, detailed answer to it, and submitted it to the United Nations."[18] In addition, "in December 2004, China submitted to the United Nations its answer to the questionnaire on child pornography on the Internet based on careful study."[19]
Child Health and Social Welfare
The PRC Law on Maternal and Infant Health Care
The primary law governing child health in China is The PRC Law on Maternal and Infant Health (promulgated by the NPC Standing Committee, effective June 1, 1995) (Maternal and Infant Health Law).[20] According to Article 2 of the Maternal and Infant Health Law, "[t]he State shall develop maternal and infant health care projects and provide the necessary environments and material aids so as to ensure that mothers and infants receive medical and health care services."
The 135-article law covers pre-marital healthcare, pre-natal and post-natal healthcare, administrative provisions for medical assistance and facilities for treatment and health. The law requires medical institutions to offer pre-marital healthcare service, including health instruction, consultation, and medical examination.[21] In cases of certain serious genetic disease found through the examination, long-term contraceptive measures or performance of tubal ligation operations shall be taken upon the agreement of the marrying couple.[22] Medical institutions are also required to provide pre-natal and post-natal healthcare, including instructions, healthcare services for pregnant women, women ready for delivery at the hospital, fetuses, and newborns.[23]
As the body authorized to implement the law, the PRC State Council (China's cabinet) issued an Implementation Rules of the Maternal and Infant Health Law in 2001.[24]
It is worth noting that although the law sets up the duties for medical institutions and local governments in offering and assisting maternal and infant healthcare, the services are not always free. The only service clearly provided by this law to be free is in Article 19: "The operations of terminating gestation or ligation operations in accordance with the law are free of any charge."[25]
Medical Insurance
China has been in the process of reforming the health care system for more than one decade. Under the old system implemented in the planned economy, "the labor insurance system" provided that all the "socialist workers" get healthcare from the state for free, with children's healthcare covered through their parents' "labor insurance". According to article 13 of The 1950 PRC Regulation on the Labor Insurance, a worker's medical bill shall be paid by the state-owned enterprises for which he or she works, and their children get fifty percent of their medical costs reimbursed.[26]
The labor insurance was replaced by "the employee's basic medical insurance" in 1998. The State Council of China issued TheDecision on Establishing the Urban Employees' Basic Medical Insurance System at the end of that year.[27] Children's health care is not covered in this decision, which actually pushes them out of the state's medical insurance system. The State Council is now considering a new medical insurance system, aiming to cover children and other citizens who are not eligible to join the employees' basic medical insurance.[28] Local governments, especially those in developed areas, are establishing local medical insurance systems for the children residing in those areas.[29]
Birth Control
Birth control is established by the Chinese Constitution as a fundamental policy of the nation.[30] Citizens bear the statutory obligation to practice birth control under the law.[31] The PRC Law on the Population and Family Planning "advocates" one couple to have only one child, with exceptions provided by provincial-level population control regulations when a couple "may apply" to have two children (most likely to couples in rural areas whose first child is female).[32]
The government, however, implements the "advocated" policy strongly, which is widely criticized to be violating international human rights standards set up in the international children's right documents mentioned in above part II. The Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) detailed the coerced compliance with the policy performed by the officials to be "through a system marked by pervasive propaganda, mandatory monitoring of women's reproductive cycles, mandatory contraception, mandatory birth permits, coercive fines for failure to comply, and in some cases, forced sterilization and abortion."[33] In its 2007 Annual Report, the CECC concludes that in 2007:
China continues to implement population planning policies that violate international human rights standards. These policies impose government control over women's reproductive lives, result in punitive actions against citizens not in compliance with the population planning policies, and engender additional abuses by officials who implement the policies at local levels. In 2007, the Party and government leadership reaffirmed its commitment to its population planning policies, and continues to implement such actions as charging large "social compensation fees" to families that bear children "out of plan."[34]
Education, including Special Needs
Compulsory Education
The PRC Law on Compulsory Education (Compulsory Education Law) codifies school-age children the right to receive nine years of compulsory education (a six-year primary school and a three-year middle school).[35] The law lays down the principle that the state shall establish a funding system to guarantee implementation of compulsory education.[36] Under the Compulsory Education Law, children shall be sent to school at the age of six (or seven in the undeveloped areas) to receive education, and no tuition fees and miscellaneous fees shall be charged during the nine years of compulsory education.[37] In order to promote balanced development of all the schools, the local government educational authorities are prohibited from dividing schools into key schools and ordinary schools, and the schools are prohibited from dividing classes into elite classes and non-elite classes, which were actually the common situation before implementation of the law.[38] The law also bans any entrance examinations for basic education.[39]
The curriculum in all Chinese schools is decided by the governmental educational authority, namely the Ministry of Education.[40] Text books will be reviewed and may be censored by the government and may not be used without pre-approval of the state.[41]
The local-level governments implementation of their statutory obligations of compulsory education varies from the economically developed east to the undeveloped west, from urban areas to the rural areas. According to a report by an official news agency in 2006, China "will exempt primary and junior high school students in its rural west from tuition and other education expenses this year, pledging to implement similar policies in other areas starting 2007,"[42] evidencing that at least in the western rural areas, compulsory education has not been fully established. The government published a national net enrollment statistic ratio to primary schools, which is 99.2% in 2005.[43] This number may have excluded the children of the migrant workers in the cities, who are not present at their household registration addresses and therefore hard to be calculated in the statistics. Their education resources are so insufficient that in 2003, the State Council circulated an official notice urging the local-level governments to improve equal education rights of the migrant children, in which it admits that the education of the migrant children has been an increasingly difficult problem of the county.[44] Approximately 9.3% of the "migrant children" (those moving with their parents from villages to cities) do not get access to schools in the cities, according to a report of the China Youth Daily, a government related newspaper.[45]
Special Education for Disabled Children
The local government at or above county level is required to set up special schools to provide compulsory education for school-age children who have disabilities in vision, hearing, and intelligence.[46] These special schools are to be equipped with sites and facilities which adapt to the study, recovery, and living needs of the disabled children.[47] For those special-needs children who are capable of studying in the ordinary school, the schools must accept them without discrimination and provide aids for their study and recovery, according to the law.[48]
Correctional Education and Work-Study Schools
The local government is also required to set up special schools for children "who perpetrate serious misbehaviors" as specified in The Law on Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency (Prevention Law) as a part of the compulsory education.[49]
The Prevention Law took effect from 1999, aiming to prevent juveniles from committing criminal offenses and assisting in rehabilitation.[50] The law prohibits parents and other guardians from leaving children under the age of sixteen to live alone.[51] Violation of this provision may result in a reprimand from the public security authorities.[52]
The Prevention Law spells out a list of "serious misbehaviors," which refers to certain offenses that "seriously harm the society but are not enough for criminal punishment."[53] For a juvenile who has committed such offenses, his parents or other guardians may apply, through approval of the government educational authorities, to send him to one of the special correctional work-study schools.[54] It is worth noting that before the law took effect in 1999, it was not necessary that the parents or guardians agree to special placement; it could simply be enforced by the public security authorities. It is reported that the first work-study school was established in Beijing in 1955. The highest number of such schools around the country was 180; by 2004, however, only eighty-three were left.[55] The curriculum provided in such work-study schools is to be consistent with the ordinary schools, with additional "education on legality[56]."
Child Labor and Exploitation
The minimum age for working in China is sixteen. Before The PRC Labor Law (Labor Law) was passed in 1994, the State Council issued The Provisions on the Prohibition of Using Child Labor (Child Labor Provisions) to prohibit child labor in 1991, which were amended in 2002.[57] In 2003, eight central government authorities including the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Public Security, and the Ministry of Education jointly issued a notice to reinforce implementation of Child Labor Provisions.[58]
Article 15 of the Labor Law prohibits an employer to recruit minors under the age of sixteen, with exception made for institutions of literature, art, physical culture, and special crafts which may recruit minors through investigation and approval of the government authorities, and must guarantee the minors' rights to compulsory education.[59] Using child labor without government approval may result in RMB5,000 (equivalent to about USD $660) fine per child worker per month.[60]
Despite the legislative requirements, the practice of child labor is believed to be "a persistent problem within China" by some China watchers.[61] Though the CECC agrees that "the overall extent of child labor in China is unclear due to the government categorizing data on the matter as "highly secret","[62] it cited a report on child labor in China finding that "child labors generally work in low-skill service sectors as well as small workshops and businesses, including textile, toy, and shoe manufacturing enterprises."[63]
Sale and Trafficking of Children
China is on the "Tier 2 Watch List" in the U.S. State Department Trafficking in Persons Report. According to this report, "The People's Republic of China is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation. A significant number of Chinese women and children are trafficked internally for forced marriage and forced labor." The report admits the PRC government is making significant efforts to comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. Its placement on the Tier 2 Watch List is due to its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking, specifically its inadequate protection for trafficking victims, particularly foreign women and P.R.C. women identified from Taiwan.[64]
The Chinese government claims that it has taken effective measures to prevent and severely punish crimes in the trafficking of women and children, in the national report on child development mentioned above.[65]
Crime of Abducting and Trafficking a Woman or Child
To commit the crime of abducting and trafficking a woman or child in China may result in a range of punishments from five years imprisonment to the death penalty, according to The PRC Criminal Law.[66] One of the circumstances the judge may consider in imposing a heavier sentence is whether the abducted child has been sold abroad.[67] Buying an abducted child may result in up to three years imprisonment.[68]
Age of Consent for Marriage
The PRC Marriage Law sets the minimum age of marriage at twenty-two for a male and twenty for a female.[69]
Statutory Rape
Having sexual intercourse with a girl under fourteen years of age is statutory rape, with a sentence of heavier punishment within the range of punishments for rape.[70] Committing rape in China may result in sentencing of a fixed-term imprisonment from three years to ten years, and if one of a list of "serious circumstances" spelled out in The PRC Criminal Law happens, a fixed-term imprisonment from ten years up to the death penalty may be imposed. The "serious circumstances" include (i) raping women or minors; (ii) raping a number of women or girls under the age of fourteen; (iii) raping a woman in public; (iv) raping in rotation by more than two offenders; and (v) causing serious injury or death to the victim or any other serious consequences.[71]
Indecent Assault
Indecent assault against a woman's will, or by force, may result in up to five years imprisonment. If the offence happens in public, the sentence may be over five years.[72] Sodomy committed against minors under fourteen years old may result in heavier punishment in the abovementioned range of punishments.[73]
Child Prostitution
Promiscuity may result in imprisonment for up to five years or forced labor under the PRC Criminal Law. Those who lure minors into promiscuity will be punished by a heavier penalty.[74]
Organizing or compelling others to prostitution may result in fixed-term imprisonment from five years to ten years and a fine. Organizing or compelling girls under the age of fourteen to prostitution, however, may result in a fixed-term imprisonment from ten years to life imprisonment or even the death penalty and confiscation of property.[75]
Inducing girls under the age of fourteen into prostitution may result in fixed-term imprisonment of five years and fine.[76]
Having sex with girls under the age of fourteen who are acting as prostitutes may result in a fixed-term imprisonment of five years and fine.[77]
Child Pornography
The PRC Criminal Law does not specifically regulate child pornography. Distributing pornography to minors under age eighteen is punishable by a heavier penalty within the punishments for distributing pornography.[78]
Juvenile Justice
Age Requirement for Bearing Criminal Responsibility
The general age requirement for bearing criminal responsibility under Chinese law is sixteen. A person aged from fourteen to sixteen bears criminal responsibility in intentionally committing serious criminal offenses spelled out in the Criminal Law, including homicide, rape, and robbery. An offender aged from fourteen to eighteen shall be given a lighter or mitigated punishment.[79] An offender under the age of fourteen does not result in criminal punishment under Chinese law.
Judicial Protection of the Juvenile
The Minors Protection Law requires the judiciary to protect minors' legal rights during judicial proceedings.[80] There are ten articles in this law specifically dealing with judicial protection. Unfortunately, most of these legislative declarations, are not enforced effectively in practice.[81]
Article 51 of the Minors Protection Law provides prompt trial of cases brought by minors whose lawful rights and interests are injured. However, no specific time line is found in this law to decide how prompt the case shall be brought to trial.[82] This article also requires the legal aid institutions or the courts to provide legal aid to the minors, which in practice is yet not fulfilled.[83] Article 52 requires the court to protect the property rights of the minors, and respect the minors' wishes in handling the disputes over foster care.[84] This article just repeats existing laws. Article 57 provides separate custody or imprisonment of minors from an adult jail or prison population, and provides for compulsory education for minors in prison.[85] Article 55 requires the judiciary to appoint a special institution or personnel to handle juvenile cases. Up to 2007, China is reported to have organized 2420 juvenile tribunals in the courts around the country.[86] Broadcasting of any information on minor criminal offenders is prohibited.[87]
Prepared by Laney Zhang
Foreign Law Specialist
August 2007
[1] For purposes of this report only, the "PRC" and "China" used hereafter refers to the mainland of the People's Republic of China, with the exclusion of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Macau Special Administrative Region, and Taiwan
[2] Xian FA [Consitution] art. 49 (1982) (P.R.C).
[3] The PRC Law on the Protection of Minors, 2007 Gazette Of The Standing Committee Of The National People's Congress 5 (P.R.C) (official source).
[4] Id.
[5] The Minors Protection Law has seven chapters as follows: Chapter 1, General Principles; Chapter 2, Family Protection; Chapter 3, School Protection; Chapter 4, Society Protection; Chapter 5, Judicial Protection; Chapter 6, Legal Penalties; and Chapter 7, Miscellaneous. [Back to Text]
[6] The Minors Protection Law, art. 2.
[7] Minfa Tongze [General Principle of Civil Law] (promulgated by the NPC, effective Jan. 1, 1987), art 11, 1986 Fagui Huibian 1, 4 (official source).
[8] Id., art. 12.
[9] G.A. Res. 44/25, annex, 44 U.N. GAOR Supp. (No. 49) at 167, U.N. Doc. A/44/49 (1989); 28 I.L.M. 1448 (1989). Available online atthe Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) Web site,: http://www.ohchr.org/english/law/crc.htm (last visited Aug. 7, 2007). For the status of signatures, ratifications, and accessions, see the OHCHR Web site, http://www.ohchr.org/english/countries/ratification/11.htm (external link) (last visited July 27, 2007).
[10] G.A. Res. A/RES/54/263 of 25 May 2000. For an online text, see the UNHCHR Web site, http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu2/dopchild.htm (external link) (last visited Aug. 7, 2007). For the status of ratifications and reservations, see the OHCHR Web site, http://www.ohchr.org/english/countries/ratification/11_c.htm (external link) (last updated July 13, 2007) (last visited Aug. 3, 2007).
[11] G.A. Res. 2200A (XXI), 21 U.N.GAOR, 21st Sess., Supp. (No. 16) at 49, U.N. Doc. A/6316 (Dec. 16, 1966), 993 U.N.T.S. 3. For an online text, see the OHCHR Web site, http://www.ohchr.org/english/law/cescr.htm (external link) (last visited Aug. 7, 2007). For the status of ratifications and reservations, see the OHCHR Web site, http://www.ohchr.org/english/countries/ratification/3.htm#ratifications (external link) (last visited Aug. 7, 2007).
[12] G.A. Res. 34/180, 34 U.N. GAOR Supp. (No. 46) at 193, U.N. Doc. A/34/46. For an online text, see the U.N. Division of the Advancement of Women Web site, http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/text/econvention.htm#article1 (external link) (last visited Aug. 7, 2007). A list of the status of signatures, ratifications, and accessions is available on the same Web site, at http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/states.htm (external link) (last visited Aug. 7, 2007). China made a reservation to paragraph 1 of article 29 with regard to dispute resolution.
[13] 2002 Gazette Of The Standing Committee Of The National People's Congress 308 (P.R.C.) (official source). See also 2003 Zhongguo Falv Nianjian [2003 China Law Yearbook] 701 (official source). For an online text for the convention, see the OHCHR Web site, http://www.ohchr.org/english/law/childlabour.htm (external link) (last visited Aug. 7, 2007).
[14] 2005 Gazette Of The Standing Committee Of The National People's Congress 371 (P.R.C.) (official source). See also, 2006 Zhongguo Falv Nianjian [2006 China Law Yearbook]Zhongguo Falv Nianjian [2006 China Law Yearbook] 491 (official source). For an online text, see the HCCH Web site, http://www.hcch.net/index_en.php?act=conventions.text&cid=69 (external link) (last visited Aug. 7, 2007).
[15] G.A. Res. 44/25, annex, 44 U.N. GAOR Supp. (No. 49) at 167, U.N. Doc. A/44/49 (1989); 28 I.L.M. 1448 (1989). See also 1991 Gazette Of The Standing Committee Of The National People's Congress 662 (P.R.C.) (official source).
[16] G.A. Res. 2200A (XXI), 21 U.N. GAOR, 21st Sess. Supp. (No. 16) at 52, U.N. Doc. A/6316 (Dec. 16, 1966), 999 U.N.T.S. 171.For an online text, see the OHCHR Web site, http://www.ohchr.org/english/law/ccpr.htm (external link) (last visited Aug. 7, 2007). For the status of ratifications, see the OHCHR Web site, http://www.ohchr.org/english/countries/ratification/4.htm (external link) (last visited Aug. 7, 2007).
[17] The Information Office of the PRC State Council, China's Progress in Human Rights in 2004, available at the official news Web site, http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-04/13/content_2822511.htm (external link).
[18] Id.
[19] Id.
[20] Muying Baojian Fa [Law on Maternal and Infant Health] (promulgated by the NPC Standing Committee, effective June 1, 1995), 1994 Fagui Huibian 158 (official source).
[21] Id., art. 7.
[22] Id., art. 10.
[23] Id., art. 14.
[24] Muying Baojian Fa Shishi Banfa [Implementation Rules of the Maternal and Infant Health Law] (promulgated by the State Council, effective June 20, 2001). ChinaLawInfo (Chinalawinfor ID No. 35752) (unofficial source).
[25] Id., art. 19 § 2.
[26] Laodong Baoxian Tiaoli [Regulation on the Labor Insurance] (promulgated by Zhengwu Yuan (then China's cabinet), effective Feb. 26, 1951). ChinaLawInfo (Chinalawinfo ID No. 44332) (unofficial source).
[27] Guowuyuan Guanyu Jianli Chengzhen Zhigong Jiben Yiliao Baoxian Zhidu de Jueding [The Decision on Establishing the Urban Employees' Basic Medical Insurance System] (issued by the State Council on Dec. 14, 1998). ChinaLawInfo (Chinalawinfo ID No. 21638) (unofficial source).
[28] The State Council Instructive Opinions on Launching Testing of Urban Residents Basic Insurance (July 10, 2007), available at the central government official Web site: http://www.gov.cn/zwgk/2007-07/24/content_695118.htm (external link).
[29] E.g., Suzhou, a rich city of Jiangsu Province in east China, implemented the Children's In-Hospital Medical Insurance System. Ertong Dabing Yiliao Baozhang Xu Jinkuai Quanguo Tongyi [Children's Major Medical Insurance Needs to be Uniformed throughout the Country], http://news.xinhuanet.com/comments/
2007-03/05/content_5800253.htm (external link) (last visited Aug. 7, 2007).
[30] Article 25 of the PRC Constitution reads: "The state promotes family planning so that population growth may fit the plans for economic and social development." Xian FA art. 25 (1982) (P.R.C).
[31] Renkou Yu Jihua Shengyu Fa [Law on the Population and Family Planning] (promulgated by the NPC Standing Committee, effective Sept. 1, 2002), art. 17, 2001 Falü Huibian 316, 320 (official source).
[32] Id., art. 18, 2001 Falü Huibian 316, 320 (official source).
[33] Congressional Executive Commission On China, 2007 Annual Report 108, available at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_house_
docid=f:38026.pdf (external link) (PDF) (last visited Aug. 7, 2007).
[34] Id., at 16.
[35] Yiwu Jiaoyu Fa [The PRC Law on Compulsory Education](promulgated by the NPC Standing Committee on April 12, 1986, amended June 29, 2006, effective Sept. 1, 2006), art 2., VII 2006 Xin Fagui Huibian 6 (official source).
[36] Id., art. 2 § 4.
[37] Id., arts. 2 and 11.
[38] Before the middle 1980s, because educational resources were scarce, selected "key schools" — usually those with records of past educational accomplishment — were given priority in the assignment of teachers, equipment, and funds. They were also allowed to recruit the best students for special training to compete for admission to top schools at the next level.
[39] Id., art. 12.
[40] Id., art. 35.
[41] Id., art. 39.
[42] China Pledges Free 9-year Education for Students in Rural West, Xinhua News Agency (Feb. 21, 2006), available at http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200602/21/eng20060221_244658.html (external link).
[43] China Education Statistics, available at http://www.stats.edu.cn/sjcx.aspx (external link) (last visited Aug. 7, 2007).
[44] Guowuyuan Bangongting Zhuanfa Jiaoyubu Deng Bumen Guanyu Jinyibu Zuohao Jincheng Wugong Jiuye Nongmin Zinv Yiwu Jiaoyu Gongzuo Yijian De Tongzhi [State Council Circular Transmitting the Opinion of the Education and Other Ministries Relating to Further Work on Migrant Children's Compulsory Education] (Sept. 17, 2003), available at the online subscription Chinese law database Chinalawinfo (Chinalawinfo ID no. 52706).
[45] Woguo Liudong Ertong Shixuelv Gaoda 9.3% [The Dropout Rate from School of Floating Children in China Is as High as 9.3%], China Youth Daily (May 14, 2004), available at http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2004-05-14/16023231841.shtml (external link).
[46] Compulsory Education Law, art. 19.
[47] Id.
[48] Id.
[49] Id., art. 20.
[50]Y ufang Wei Chengnian Ren Fanzui Fa [The Law on Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency] (promulgated by the NPC Standing Committee, effective Nov. 1, 1999). 1999 Gazette Of The Standing Committee Of The National People's Congress 276 (P.R.C.) (official source).
[51] Id., art. 19.
[52] Id., art. 50.
[53] Id., art. 34.
[54] Id., art. 35.
[55] Guanzhu Weichengnian Ren: Shenmeyang de Haizi Song Gongdu Xuexiao? [Focus on Minors: To Send What Kind of Children to the Work-StudySchool?], an official Xinhua News Agency report, available at http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2004-05/26/content_1491207.htm (external link) (last visited Aug. 7, 2007).
[56] Id., art. 36.
[57]Jinzhi Shiyong Tonggong Guiding [The Provisions on the Prohibition of Using Child Labor](promulgated by the State Council, effective April 15, 1991, amended Oct. 1, 2002, effective Dec. 1, 2002). 2002 Fagui Huibian 1210 (official source).
[58] Guayun Guanche Luoshi Jinzhi Shiyong Tonggong Guiding de Tongzhi [Notice on Implementation of the Child Labor Provisions] (April 18, 2003), iSinoLaw (iSinoLaw ID No. 10063 -2004579) (last visited Aut. 7, 2007).
[59] Lao Dong Fa [Labor Law] (promulgated by the NPC Standing Committee, effective Jan. 1, 1995), art. 15. 1994 Fagui Huibian 91, 94 (official source).
[60] Child Labor Provisions, art. 6.
[61] E.g., The CECC 2007 Annual Report, supra note 33, at 70.
[62] Id.
[63] Id.
[64] The U.S. Dpartment Of State, 2005 Report Victims Of Trafficking And ViolenceProtection Act Of 2000: Trafficking In Persons Report, available at http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2005/ (last visited Aug. 7, 2007).
[65] The National Working Committee report, supra note 33.
[66] Xing Fa [Criminal Law], art. 240. 1997 Fagui Huibian, 18, 83 (official source).
[67] Id., art. 240 §8.
[68] Id., art. 241.
[69] Hun Yin Fa [Marriage Law] (promulgated by the NPC, amended and effective April 28, 2001), art. 6. 2001 Gazette Of The Standing Committee Of The National People's Congress 40 (P.R.C.) (official source).
[70]Criminal Law, art. 236.
[71] Id.
[72] Id., art. 237.
[73] Id.
[74] Criminal Law, art. 301.
[75] Criminal Law, art. 358.
[76] Criminal Law, art. 359.
[77] Criminal Law, art. 360 §2.
[78] Criminal Law, art. 364 §4.
[79] Criminal Law, art. 17.
[80] The Minors Protection Law, art. 50.
[81] See Fan Rongqing, Weichegnian Ren Sifa Baohu de Kunjing Yu Sikao [Difficulties of and Thoughts on Judicial Protection of Minors], 2 Qingshaonian Fazui Wenti [Issues On Juvenile Crimes And Deliquency] 42-45 (2005). According to the author, a prosecutor in the People's Procuratorate in Shanghai, the Minors Protections Law has never been cited by the court when trying cases with minors as defendants. Id. at 43.
[82] Id., art. 51 §1.
[83] Id., art. 51 §2.
[84] >Id., art. 52.
[85] Id., art. 57.
[86] Tian Yu, Zhongguo Shaonian Fating Goujian Shiying Wei Chengnian Ren Tedian Shenpan Zhidu [China Juvenile Tribunals Forming Judicial Systems Adapted to the Minors Characteristics], China Court Net (June 1, 2007), http://www.chinacourt.org/public/detail.php?id=249471 (external link) (last visited Aug. 7, 2007).
[87] The Minors Protection Law, art. 58.
Last Updated: 07/02/2015


text:
I have a MySQL table which I expect to be in surplus of a few million rows and 99% select statements. The problem I am having is coming up with a meaningful way to determine the Primary Key. (I have provided a table dump at the bottom for reference)
For some background, I am working with a 2-D grid, whose ranges vary from approximately -800000 to +800000 in each direction. Each row is identified by its X/Z coordinate, for which each coordinate may have 1-30 associated bitstrings (type).
The concerns I have are:
1) I lack a meaningful way to Primary key this table. While I know I can create an
id field with auto_increment, I know that in practice this key will never be used, as 100% of SELECTS will be in the form of:
SELECT `type`, `offset`, `bitstring` WHERE `x` = 0 AND `z` = 0;
2) I intend to index on multiple columns (the logical x/z), via:
CREATE INDEX coordinate ON bitstrings(x, z)
While I feel this appropriately addresses my real-world selects, I am constantly concerned it is insufficient indexing, based on the dozens of posts saying 'YES, YOU NEED A PK'. Is this a case where a PK can be ignored or is the arbitrary
id still ultimately going to provide some behind-the-scenes optimization well worth the additional table size and column?
As a side note, I have absolutely no limitations on completely restructuring this table, if there is are any more practical, proven ways to store this sort of data.
CREATE TABLE `bitstrings` (
`x` int(11) NOT NULL COMMENT 'roughly +/- 10^6 range',
`z` int(11) NOT NULL COMMENT 'roughly +/- 10^6 range',
`type` smallint(6) NOT NULL COMMENT 'range: 1-4096',
`offset` smallint(6) NOT NULL COMMENT 'range: 1-65535',
`bitstring` blob NOT NULL COMMENT 'binary data len: 1-8192'
) ENGINE=MyISAM DEFAULT CHARSET=utf-8;
-- Dumping data for table `bitstrings`
INSERT INTO `bitstrings` (`x`, `z`, `type`, `offset`, `bitstring`) VALUES
(0, 0, 1, 0, 0x52),
(0, 0, 2, 1878, 0x52);


text:
COSTA DO SAUIPE, Brazil (AP) — The United States could wind up in a group with powers Brazil, Italy and the Netherlands after FIFA tinkered with its format for Friday's World Cup draw.
The Americans also could be in a Brazil-Portugal-Netherlands group for next year's tournament in Brazil.
Or they could end up with what would appear to be a relatively easy pairing with Switzerland, Greece and Algeria.
FIFA could have placed France, the lowest-ranked unseeded European team, into a pot with Africa and the unseeded South American teams. Instead, the nine unseeded European teams will go into a bowl and one will be selected for that pot at the start of the draw.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter said the decision followed talks with confederation presidents, including Michel Platini, the French president of Europe's governing body. Blatter sidestepped a question asking him to explain a procedure that seemingly ignored FIFA's own precedent and favored France.
"Let us (hold the) draw and not let us speak of teams," Blatter said.
Each group will include a team from each of the four pots.
Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Germany, Spain, Switzerland and Uruguay are the seeded teams and will be in Pot 1.
Chile and Ecuador will be in Pot 2, along with the selected European team and Algeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Nigeria.
Making its seventh straight World Cup appearance, the U.S. will be in Pot 3 along with regional rivals Costa Rica, Honduras and Mexico, and Asian nations Australia, Iran, Japan and South Korea.
France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands and Portugal will start in Pot 4 along with Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, England and Russia.
No more than one team from a region may be in the same group, except for Europe, which may have two teams in a group.
FIFA's World Cup organizing committee also declined to switch 1 p.m. kickoffs in Fortaleza, Natal, Recife and Salvador despite concerns by the international players' union FIFPro over heat and humidity in tropical areas.
FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke confirmed FIFA's budgeted commitment to increase World Cup prize money by around one-third, but the exact breakdown will be decided later this week. FIFA shared $348 million among the 32 participating federations in 2010, including a minimum $8 million. Champion Spain received $30 million.
Next year's prize fund will be $454 million.
COSTA DO SAUIPE, Brazil (AP) — The United States could wind up in a group with powers Brazil, Italy and the Netherlands after FIFA tinkered with its format for Friday's World Cup draw.


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Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Amy Vernon guests, as we discuss at the resurgence of diseases & consider the impact of the anti-vaccine movement. We look at outrageous comments from the 1% this week, plus the even more outrageous legislation against same-sex marriage in Oklahoma. Later, Moot closes Canv.as, and we examine what this may mean for anonymity. Plus, lots of Star Wars news…
Topics Discussed:
- Shout-Outs
- Doctor Who
- Polar Vortex II
- Vaccines
- The 1%
- Same-Sex Marriage
- The Burning Sensations
- Ryan Ferguson
- Canv.as and Web Anonymity
- 3D Printing
- Star Wars
- Black Flag
BlendoveR is a fun, hard-hitting podcast where rules are regularly thrown out the window in favor of honest, open commentating opinions. Presented by Greg Davies (cGt2099 from The-TrukstoP.com), and Terr Ciavarra (Media Nox from medianox.bandcamp.com), we stray on to any topic that presents itself or wanders off onto its own tangent.
Sons of Tonatiuh – Official Site
Doctor Who
Peter Capaldi's brand-new Doctor Who outfit revealed!
Polar Vortex II
US midwest nears record cold as officials issue weather warnings
How Vaccine Fears Fueled The Resurgence Of Preventable Diseases
The 1%
Kleiner Perkins founder compares 'demonization' of the rich to Nazi Germany's treatment of the Jews
Same-Sex Marriage
Lawmakers Consider Preventing ALL Marriage In Oklahoma
Oklahoma Gay Marriage Ban Ruled Unconstitutional By Judge
Oklahoma GOP lawmaker calls for second same-sex marriage vote
Oklahoma HOUSE BILL 2466: Preservation of Marriage Act
Oklahoma HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 1076
Same-sex marriage bans winning on state ballots
Wikipedia: Mike Turner (Oklahoma politician)
Burning Sensations
Burning Sensations @ Wikipedia
Ryan Ferguson
Ryan Ferguson backs Mark Woodworth, Amanda Knox
Canv.as and Web Anonymity
Canv.as: All good things come to an end
Why Grandma shouldn't have posted Instagram pics on Facebook
3D Printing
The 3D printer that can build a house in 24 hours
Star Wars
Carrie Fisher says she'll start filming 'Star Wars: Episode VII' in March or April
Carrie Fisher Says She's On Board With Mark Hamill And Harrison Ford To Film New 'Star Wars'
Dame Judi Dench rumoured to star in 'Star Wars Episode VII'
Mark Hamill here. In an AMA far, far away…
Rumor: Pixar's Newest Project Is 'Star Wars' Related
Star Wars Rebels May Feature Voice Talent from the Films and Tap Into the Expanded Universe
Star Wars Rebels Will Go to "Dark Places"
Black Flag
- "Pablo Picasso" by Burning Sensations, and "TV Party" by Black Flag from the soundtrack Repo Man


text:
Migraine Headaches - Doctor - Aliso Viejo
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text:
Super Bowl Prediction
We predict who will win the Super Bowl, plus we'll tell you why Tom Brady isn't going anywhere in free agency. And if you could have any Rob Lowe character as the NFL Commissioner, who would you choose?
The 12 Rants of Christmas
Stats Guy flies solo in this episode and gets unhinged as his whines and bitches about everything he believes is wrong about the NFL. A Holiday Tradition like no other.
Salute to Service
It's the NFL's Salute to Service Month, so we salute the things we like about the NFL. Plus we decide which fanbase has the right to be the most depressed. And in our segment WTF, are O'Dell Beckham Jr's cleats the biggest problem in Cleveland?
Halloween Special
In our Halloween Special we reveal the scariest things in the NFL and we confess the sins of NFL players, coaches and fans. Plus, is Tom Brady really moving teams? We think so, but for a reason no one is talking about. And we discuss the futility of coaching scared.
Are Mariota and Winston Done?
The NFL's Pass Interference Replay experiment has resulted in TWO unintended consequences. Plus, are the 1st and 2nd 2015 NFL draft picks Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston both done? Plus we confess the sins of NFL players, coaches and fans in Cleveland, Carolina, Los Angeles and Dallas. And we tell you why the only way the Falcons can win is if Matt Ryan plays worse.
Suspend Kraft
Why hasn't Patriots owner Robert Kraft been suspended by the NFL? Our crack team of lunatics investigates on NFL Conspiracies. Plus we don the cloth on NFL Confessions to confess to the sins committed by NFL personnel and fans. And can we all just admit that the Redskins are the worst franchise in the NFL? Plus, is social media good or bad for NFL fandom?
4 Beers in 26 Seconds
Bills QB Josh Allen held the ball for 6.5 seconds in the pocket on Sunday, then promptly got sacked. Don't think 6.5 seconds is a lot of time? Sure it is, and we prove it by chugging 4 beers in 26 seconds (6.5 seconds each). We also review Who Wore it Better, Rex Ryan in his hissy fight with Browns QB Baker Mayfield, or Panthers QB Kyle Allen and his shade thrown at Cam Newton. Plus we debate why the referees suck so much when trying to protect players from egregious hits to the head. And we debut arguably the greatest segment in podcast history, NFL Confessions.
Young Guns
The NFL has a great crop of young quarterbacks, like Daniel Jones, Josh Allen, Gardner Minshew and Kyle Allen. But which one has the most substance and would also look the best in a porn moustache? Plus Tom Brady has been exerting his influence over NFL referees since 2001. We investigate in NFL Conspiracies. And we introduce a new segment called WTF where we try to understand how Matt Ryan and the Falcons lost to the Colts despite Ryan's 29-34 305 yard 3 TD performance.
Who Wore it Better?
It's already been a wild two weeks in the NFL. So which NFL team has surprised you the most? Plus in NFL Conspiracies we investigate the dark underbelly of crappy refereeing. And can the NFL stop the Dolphins from tanking? We also bring back an old favorite segment: Who Wore it Better?
Overreaction Monday!
It's Overreaction Monday! Based on just one NFL regular season game, the guys parrot typical fans and make some outrageous claims, like which team pissed you off so much they should be relegated to the XFL? Or, which coach should be fired today, no questions asked? Stats, Coach and Rookie also go to the dark side of the NFL and investigate the controversial Antonio Brown signing with their first instalment of NFL Conspiracies.
Indy is Outta Luck
Indy is finally out of Luck. But which retirement was bigger, Andrew Luck's or Barry Sanders? Plus why can't the NFL fix the preseason? We have some suggestions. Christian McCaffrey discovers he's black and Tom Brady wears a stupid hat. Plus what company do you think would get the biggest bang for their buck by getting an endorsement from Antonio Brown?
Season 3 Episode 2
I Wanna Be Just Like OJ
Is Aaron Rodgers the worst beer drinker of all time? Plus would you be worried if one of your teammates chose OJ Simpson's number 32? Chris Long and Adam 'Pacman' Jones just retired from the NFL. One of them built wells in Africa and the other one once spent $1 Million in a single weekend in Vegas. Which feat is more impressive?
Season 3 Episode 1
It's A Hard Knocks Life
We kick off our third season with a HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT. Plus we'll tell you who we really want to see on Hard Knocks this year. And is Tim Tebow going to play in the XFL? He'd be crazy not to, right? All that, plus what does it take to get your
number retired in Washington?
number retired in Washington?
Season 2 Episode 30
Pretty Shady Move
The NFL Draft is over and we have great ideas how to improve it. Plus LeSean McCoy just ruined Avengers End Game for everyone. What would you do with him if you ran the Bills? We pay tribute to recently retired RB Marshawn Lynch by comparing his most memorable run to a movie. And has anyone seen Le'Veon Bell or Odell Beckham Junior? Asking for two friends.
Season 2 Episode 29
Who Hurt You Antonio?
We talk about the upcoming NFL Draft. And with Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell finally gone, has the drama finally left Pittsburgh? Plus why does Tom Brady have to ruin Twitter? We also talk with Blitzed Insider, Cleveland Kate about which first year head coach will have the best and roughest road next season.
Season 2 Episode 28
No Sex For Cam
Cam Newton is on a sex strike for a month to make his mind stronger. Take it from us Cam, it doesn't work. Plus we talk free agency and compare Gronk's legacy in the NFL to a movie. We drink the Oakland Black Magic Cocktail prepared by our Blitzed Barkeep and we announce an exciting new partnership.
Season 2 Episode 27
No Kraft News Here
It's the NFL offseason, so naturally it's the season of wild speculation and we have some ideas the NFL should really listen to. Plus if you're looking for us to make fun of the Robert Kraft thing, you've come to the wrong show.
There's NO WAY we'd make fun of the Patriots, right?
There's NO WAY we'd make fun of the Patriots, right?
Season 2 Episode 26
Brighter Days
After an awful Super Bowl the guys come to a stunning realization.
50th Episode Special
Who Wants to Get Blitzed?
The celebrate our 50th Episode the guys take part in a game show called Who Wants to Get Blitzed where they work together to answer skill testing NFL questions. Every time they get an answer right they get to drink a 4 oz glass of their favorite beer. And every time they get an answer wrong they have to do a shot of Bulleit bourbon.
Starring Brandon Perna (That's Good Sports), Cleveland Kate (Our Turf Football), Chris Kristofco (Titletown Soundoff), the Blitzed Barkeep (716 Mafia Unplugged), Derek Ciapala (Rams Talk), John Buffone (Buffone 55), Sam Maddy (Big Play Sports) and Mike Zimmer's Ears (Sound the Gjallarhorn).
Starring Brandon Perna (That's Good Sports), Cleveland Kate (Our Turf Football), Chris Kristofco (Titletown Soundoff), the Blitzed Barkeep (716 Mafia Unplugged), Derek Ciapala (Rams Talk), John Buffone (Buffone 55), Sam Maddy (Big Play Sports) and Mike Zimmer's Ears (Sound the Gjallarhorn).
Season 2 Episode 24
There's Something About Brady
The Patriots are off to Super Bowl LIII and our host, Stats Guy, loses his mind. We compare Tom Brady's special treatment by the refs to a movie. We also speak with Skyler Burkhardt, host of the Pylon to Pylon podcast and Editor of Downtown Rams about the Rams big win in New Orleans and what they can do to stop the Patriots.
Plus, is the NFL fixed?
Plus, is the NFL fixed?
Season 2 Episode 23
The Evil Empire
We blast the Chargers for getting pounded by the Evil Empire (ahem, New England) in the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs. Plus we reveal the real reason why the Patriots have been so successful over the last 18 years that has nothing to do with Tom Brady, Bill Belichick or promises made to the devil.
We also review the Philly Special Cocktail.
We also review the Philly Special Cocktail.
Season 2 Episode 22
Seahawks Need a Rewrite
We shred Coach's Seahawks for losing to the Cowboys and we compare their bizarre performance to a movie. Plus, plenty of NFL teams are interested in Nick Foles, so we speculate on his future. And is this the year the Patriots finally lose at home in the playoffs? We also drink shots of Bulleit Bourbon and chase them with Coors.
Season 2 Episode 21
Meltdown in Steeltown
We're talking NFL playoffs as well as the incomprehensible season-long meltdown in Pittsburgh. Plus we chat with Sam Maddy from Big Play Sports about the rise of the Cleveland Browns. We also drink the Colts Stampede Cocktail prepared by our Blitzed Barkeep.
Season 2 Episode 20
The Bears Excellent Adventure
The Chicago Bears go from worst to first in their division, so we compare their journey to a movie. Plus, with the NFL regular season almost over, looking back, what front office move ranks as the worst? And if you were Mark Davis what would you do for Raiders fans at your last game ever in Oakland? We also talk with Ashley McBride about how she became a Packers fan and we drink Miami Miracle Margaritas made by our Blitzed Barkeep.
Season 2 Episode 19
Simple Jack
After the upset of Rams, are the Bears Super Bowl bound, or will it be another top team in the NFC? Plus the guys compare Stats Guy to Simple Jack in the movie Tropic Thunder and Michael Bolton in Office Space. And you won't believe their latest solution to getting refs to throw fewer penalty flags.
Season 2 Episode 18
The Best of Blitzed
It's our Best of Blitzed Special, where we're bringing you some of our best moments from the NFL Season, like our definition of the NFL's New Catch Rule, how the rise of the Chicago Bears is like the movie Rocky, Rich, the Field Goal Net Guy, an interview with Buffalo Bills Superfan Pancho Billa,
and a great reason to hate Tom Brady.
and a great reason to hate Tom Brady.
Season 2 Episode 17
Jags Are a Tire Fire
The NFL playoff picture is getting murkier. So who's got the best shot of making it in, the Browns, Bills or Broncos? Plus we compare the Jacksonville Jaguars nightmare season to a movie. We also debate who has the best uniforms in the NFL. One thing's for sure, it ain't the Chargers 'Powder Blues'. And finally, we revisit the Raiders trade of Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper, which would get them the 25th and 21st pick in next year's draft. Was it worth it?
Season 2 Episode 16
Thanksgiving Special
It's our Thanksgiving Special, where we give thanks to some of the things we love about the NFL, like the New Orleans Saints, who have been 'Pitch Perfect' this year. We also give thanks for fun NFL celebrations, the new crop of young stars and, of course, Internet drama queens who think the sky is falling every time their QB throws an incomplete pass. Plus we recognize some of the unsung heroes of the NFL who have jobs you don't even know about. Orange Mitt Guy, anyone?
Season 2 Episode 15
Underdogs and Celebrations
We celebrate the five NFL underdogs (Titans, Browns, Cowboys, Redskins and Bills) who all posted big wins on Sunday. We compare the Bills Jets game in New York to the movies Anchorman, The Replacements and Cloverfield. Plus, are TD celebrations going too far, or not far enough, and should the Canadian Football League allow player drinking after every touchdown? And finally, has coach become a Patriots fan? And we review the Roaming Buffalo from our bartender, the Blitzed Barkeep.
Season 2 Episode 14
Tanking in the NFL
NFL teams are tanking. We know you're tanking. So why aren't you just honest with us about it? Looking at you, Raiders. After the Raiders humiliation in San Francisco to the 49ers, we compare the Mark Davis' state of mind to a movie. Plus, is Vance Joseph done in Denver? We discuss which coaches now have the hottest seat - Vance Joseph, Todd Bowles, Marvin Lewis, John Harbaugh, or Sean McDermott. And we review the Vieux Caree, a popular New Orleans drink.
Season 2 Episode 13
Scariest Things in the NFL
It's our Halloween Special, where we talk about the scariest things in the NFL, including refereeing, injuries and whether or not NFL players actually know the rules. We also chat with longtime Browns fan and internet video sensation Sir Yacht about what's in store for the Browns after Hue Jackson and Todd Haley were fired. We compare what it's like to be a Browns fan to a horror movie and we review Blitzed Barkeep's latest drink, the Purple Viking.
Season 2 Episode 12
Belichick and Brady's Weird Relationship
We're talking possible NFL trade deadline deals, stadium food in London and we compare Belichick and Brady's weird relationship to a movie. Plus we talk with John Buffone from the Bears Bar Room Network about how the Bears bounce back in the NFC North.
Season 2 Episode 11
Gruden 2.0
We're talking about the Gruden 2.0 experiment in Oakland, how the Rams can stay perfect and why Quarterbacks need a Cy Young award of their own. Plus we give you another great reason to hate Tom Brady this week and we review the Black and Tan beer cocktail.
Season 2 Episode 10
Quarterly Report
Now that a quarter of the NFL season is already over, we reveal our Quarterly Report, where we'll tell you which two teams are going to make the playoffs as well as another team you won't believe. Plus we discuss what movie is most like Cardinals QB Sam Bradford's career and which NFL player
we'd like to have a beer with.
we'd like to have a beer with.
Season 2 Episode 9
Unpredictable NFL
This week the NFL was so unpredictable, we talk to Fat Jack, a professional handicapper about the predictability of unpredictable NFL results. Plus we discuss the Bills improbable victory in Minnesota with Danyel Renee from Buffalo Rumblings. Oh, and we drink some beer, too.
Season 2 Episode 8
Wild Finishes
We talk wild finishes in the NFL, the table smashing ban in Buffalo and the NFL's new QB phenom, Patrick "Showtime" Mahomes. Plus, are the
Chiefs stuck in the Matrix?
Chiefs stuck in the Matrix?
Season 2 Episode 7
Overreaction Monday
It's Overreaction Monday! So we give our craziest opinions after watching the first NFL regular season games. Plus we're joined by Chris Kristofco host of Title Town Soundoff, the Green Bay packers podcast. And we compare a certain NFL team to a legendary boxer.
Season 2 Episode 6
NFL Regular Season Preview
Our NFL Regular Season Preview. We talk with 6 brilliant women NFL experts from Pittsburgh, Oakland, Cincinnati, Seattle, Chicago and Miami about the upcoming season. We also decide how to punish Coach for drafting Tom Brady in our fantasy draft, we choose a favorite beer to shotgun and we talk 80s movies.
Season 2 Episode 5
Training Camp
It's Training Camp for Team Blitzed. We do a shot of bourbon every three minutes in order to prep for NFL regular season drinking. Plus we talk with YouTube NFL Host Brandon Perna about training camp expectations and what
fans can take stock in.
fans can take stock in.
Season 2 Episode 4
NFL Superfans
We talk to NFL Superfans Pancho Billa and Pumpkinhead about what it takes to become a Superfan. Plus we share our true feelings about NFL preseason football and we clarify the NFL's new catch rule. Or do we?
Season 2 Episode 3
Women NFL Experts
We're joined by six Women NFL Experts from across America who drop some serious football knowledge on the guys. Plus we talk romantic comedies, unusual QB mentorship and who is worse in a relationship: Tom Brady or Bill Belichick. The guys drink Titos Vodka and Soda and Captain Morgan's Run and Diet Coke.
Season 2 - Episode 2
Legal Gambling and Demise of LOB
The guys pick a movie that best reflects how they feel about their team, plus we discuss the effects of legalized gambling on the NFL, the demise of the Legion of Boom and why no one wants to play for the Patriots. Special guest is Joey Bag of Donuts, columnist for Pittsburgh-based 24-7 SportsTalk.
Season 2 - Episode 1
NFL Draft and Male Cheerleaders
We kick off Season 2 by drafting our favorite drinks. We discuss how male NFL cheerleaders are suddenly a thing and why teams overpay for free agent wide receivers. Plus we debate whether or not a new Thursday Night Football format will make us give a sh*t and, of course, why we hate Tom Brady this week.
Season 1 - Episode 21
Super Bowl Celebration
We celebrate an Eagles Super Bowl victory with Elijah Craig bourbon. Does Nick Foles have a future career in Philly? How long has Tom Brady been dying his hair? And we discuss the potential movie roles for Rob Gronkowski if he retires from the NFL to pursue an acting career.
Season 1 - Episode 20
NFL Championship Weekend
We recap the ups and downs of Championship Weekend in the NFL, plus we talk with Drew Gier, host of the Rockpile Report, the Buffalo Bills podcast, about what torture we'd rather endure than watch another Patriots Super Bowl. We also sample a few beers from Stanley Park Brewery.
Season 1 - Episode 19
NFL Divisional Playoff Recap
We recap the wild NFL Divisional Playoffs while enjoying Galactic Space Dragon IPA, plus we talk with JK3, co-host of Down by the Bank, a Jaguars podcast, about how they're going to smash Tom Brady and the Patriots and whether or not they're moving to London. Plus, will Mike Tomlin be fired in Pittsburgh?
Season 1 - Episode 18
Wild Card Weekend Recap
We recap Wild Card Weekend in the NFL, plus Eoghan O'Mahony of the Irish Titans tells us how the Tennessee Titans can upset the Patriots this weekend. Cooper thinks the Broncos are the best fit Alex Smith after the Chiefs dump him and Bill returns to the show this week to offer some spontaneous laughter and very little substance.
Episode 17
NFL Year in Review
It's our special year in review episode where the guys talk about the best and worst moments this year in the NFL, including the bonehead move that this NFL team wants back (no, not the Browns), the most memorable moment in the NFL and what the Giants should do with Eli Manning.
Episode 16
The 12 Takes of Christmas
In this special Christmas episode the guys give their 12 Takes of Christmas on everything in the NFL. Warning! You may get a little misty-eyed when you hear Rodger sing Christmas carols.
Season 1 - Episode 15
NFL Week 14 - Craft Beer Night
In this episode we review some awesome beers from Britannia Brewing Company and compare them to Star Wars characters. Plus we talk snow games, Big Ben's third 500 yard game (most in NFL history) and what you'd wear if you were an NFL coach: Hat, Visor or Nothing at all.
Season 1 - Episode 14
NFL Week 13 - Round 10
Bill challenges Cooper to a fight on air! Plus the guys debate whether or not Eli Manning got screwed by McAdoo in New York. And Jared Goff has better stats than Matt Ryan (MVP) in 2016 and Cam Newton (MVP) in 2015, so why isn't he in the MVP discussion?
Season 1 - Episode 13
NFL Week 12 - Round 9
It's bourbon, beer and Broncos this week. We talk with Thomas Ritchie from Denver Broncos UK about what it's like to get up at 3 am to watch a football game. Plus we'll tell you a secret about Jared Goff that his coach doesn't want you to know and we debate who would win a UFC fight, Aqib Talib or Michael 'Two Chainz' Crabtree.
Season 1 - Episode 12
NFL Week 11 - Round 8
In this episode we listen to Packers podcast host Chris Cristofco from Titletown Soundoff talk about what went wrong with the Packers and complain about buying a Brett Hundley jersey (the two things are connected). And Bill tells us why Kiko Alonzo should be allowed to kill all quarterbacks. Plus in our Ultimate NFL Drink Tournament:
Martini vs Mint Julep
Old Fashioned vs Rum & Coke
Martini vs Mint Julep
Old Fashioned vs Rum & Coke
Season 1 - Episode 11
NFL Week 10 - Round 7
In this episode the guys reveal which 7-2 team has no shot at winning the Super Bowl. They'll also tell you who stinks in the NFL this week and why one of Tom Brady's new records is fake. Plus, in our Ultimate NFL Drink Tournament:
Pacifico vs Becks
Miller High Life vs Bud Light.
Pacifico vs Becks
Miller High Life vs Bud Light.
Blitzed Bye Week
Our devoted listener has been asking us "where's the show gone?"
Well, after a much needed rest, Blitzed NFL will be back on the air next week where we'll give you a bigger reason than ever to hate Tom Brady, plus we'll see the following match ups:
Miller High Life vs Bud Light
Pacifico vs Becks
Well, after a much needed rest, Blitzed NFL will be back on the air next week where we'll give you a bigger reason than ever to hate Tom Brady, plus we'll see the following match ups:
Miller High Life vs Bud Light
Pacifico vs Becks
Season 1 - Episode 10
NFL Week 6 - Round 6
The guys compare drinks to Hollywood actors and Bill gets hammered for his lousy comparisons. The guys discuss whether or not the Jets called back touchdown was actually Patriots collusion (Ref-Gate, anyone?). We're also joined by a concerned caller from New Zealand join us to explain why he thinks hypoglycaemia makes NFL players grumpy.
Season 1 - Episode 9
NFL Week 5 - Round 5
The guys debate who stunk the worst this week in the NFL, Nick Folk, Ben Roethlisberger or Jay Cutler. Plus we discuss whether or not it's a good idea to fight Raiders fans and why Travis Frederick is the best player you've never heard of. And we see action in our domestic beer and bourbon brackets in our Ultimate NFL Drink Tournament:
Miller Lite vs Bud Light Lime
Jack Daniels vs Jim Beam Black
Miller Lite vs Bud Light Lime
Jack Daniels vs Jim Beam Black
Season 1 - Episode 8
NFL Week 4 - Round 4
In this episode we introduce a new segment called 'You Stink' where we recognize the worst performance of the week. Spoiler alert, it may be Jay Cutler. We also discuss whether or not Big Ben is done and how Tom Brady is over-rated. Plus Round Four of our Ultimate NFL Drink Tournament features:
Heineken vs Tecate
Gin & Tonic vs Margarita
Heineken vs Tecate
Gin & Tonic vs Margarita
Season 1 - Episode 7
NFL Week 3 - Round 3
In this episode we recap Week 3 in the NFL, celebrate the Bears Marcus Cooper (because no one else will) and reveal whether or not Cooper will allow his Packers to ever play a game in London. We also kick off Round Three of our Ultimate NFL Drink Tournament featuring:
Budweiser vs Michelob Ultra
Old Grandad vs Bulleit Bourbon
Budweiser vs Michelob Ultra
Old Grandad vs Bulleit Bourbon
Season 1 - Episode 6
NFL Week 2 - Round 2
In this episode we review Week 2 of the NFL regular season, give touchdown passing leader Trevor Siemian a new nickname, predict which 0-2 team will make the playoffs and we hate of Tom Brady. We also kick off Round 2 of our Ultimate NFL Drink Tournament featuring:
Dos Equis vs Stella Artois
Manhattan vs Moscow Mule
Dos Equis vs Stella Artois
Manhattan vs Moscow Mule
Season 1 - Episode 5
NFL Kickoff Sunday
In this episode we recap a wild first week in the NFL, including the Packers defensive dominance over the Seahawks and whether or not the Rams are legit. We also kick off our Blitzed Ultimate NFL Drink Tournament with:
Coors Light vs Coors
Maker's Mark vs Wild Turkey
We also explain why kicker Giorgio Tavecchio will steal your girlfriend.
Coors Light vs Coors
Maker's Mark vs Wild Turkey
We also explain why kicker Giorgio Tavecchio will steal your girlfriend.
Season 1 - Episode 4
Starting Lineups
In this episode, the guys choose their starting lineups, but for booze. Plus they discuss Kobe Bryant's Mamba Challenge to Seahawks CB Richard Sherman, Broncos RB Jamaal Charles making the cut and why most people think the Packers will win the NFC North. Plus they have an even bigger reason (than normal) to hate Tom Brady.
Season 1 - Episode 3
Drinking Training Camp
In this episode the guys try to get ready for the NFL regular season by doing their own training camp, BLITZED-style. They work on their stamina by downing a shot of Bulleit bourbon every three minutes. The results aren't very pretty, but that doesn't get in the way of them predicting who the MVP will be and hating on Tom Brady.
Season 1 - Episode 2
Pre-training camp NFL news
Import Beers
On the eve of NFL training camp Bill, Rodger and Cooper talk about all the latest NFL news, including whether or not Megatron retired too early and if Richard Sherman has a point in saying that NFL players should strike if they want more money. Plus they explain why they hate Tom Brady this week while they review import beers from all over the world, including:
Molson Canadian
Stella Artois
Molson Canadian
Stella Artois
Season 1 - Episode 1
July NFL News
Summer Sipping Vodkas
In this episode Cooper, Bill and Rodger discuss whether or not Brett Favre should rejoin the Packers, Russell Wilson's new diet and the childishness of the Oakland Raiders, along with why they hate Tom Brady this week. Plus they find time to get blitzed on the following vodkas:
Titos Vodka
Ciroc Pineapple Vodka
Belvedere Vodka
Stolichnaya Vanilla Vodka
Titos Vodka
Ciroc Pineapple Vodka
Belvedere Vodka
Stolichnaya Vanilla Vodka


text:
© -Steven Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.
Crystalline beauty - I never thought I would use this phrase in describing the sound that comes from a soprano sax - but that's exactly what comes to mind when Jane Ira Bloom plays the instrument.
Jane has such a grand and glorious tone that she plays one note and your hear the whole instrument.
There's so much profundity in just one note - she's thoughtful and reflective and takes her time with phrases, letting a note trail off or naturally fade away while still holding it - that her sound evokes a sad or bittersweet beauty in her music.
Because Jane has such great control over her instrument she is able to render a plaintive, beautiful and emotive expression of a song's melody; she just let's the melody speak, clearly and distinctly.
The other element of Jane Ira Bloom's approach to Jazz that has alway struck a responsive chord with me [pun intended] is her use of space which helps lend an atmospheric quality to her lines [improvisations].
The crystalline beauty of her tone, her judicious use of space that allows the music to breath is further enhanced on her forthcoming CD - Early Americans - by her choice of contexts, in this instance, her association with bassist Mark Helias and drummer Bobby Previte.
In some ways, a trio made up of a horn, a string and a percussion instrument strips the context down to a bare minimum and allows the musicians to listen to one another more closely while affording the listener a chance to hear each musician more clearly.
The results are magical.
Jane Ira, Mark and Bobby bring a virtuoso level of musicianship into an intimate trio setting and produce music that is warm, flowing and "conversational" - the epitome of the kind of dynamic interaction one would expect from a blending of such exceptionally talented musicians.
Jane Ira Bloom - Early Americans launches as an Outline [OTL 142] stereo CD on May 13, 2016. It is available for pre-order on Amazon as either an Mp3 download or a CD and you can locate more information about it and Jane's other recordings by visiting her at www.janeirabloom.com.
You never know what American original soprano saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom is going to do next. After the success of her 2014 all-ballads release "Sixteen Sunsets" Bloom shifts into another gear showcasing the kinetic energy of her acclaimed trio playing with the musicians that she knows best on Early Americans (OTL142).
It's her first trio album, sixteenth as leader and sixth recording on the Outline label. Her sound is like no other on the straight horn and she lets it fly on every track. She's joined by long-time bandmates Mark Helias on bass & drummer Bobby Previte and with over fifty years of shared musical history together the album is sure to be a winner. Bloom's collaboration with Helias dates back to the mid 70's in New Haven CT and her unique chemistry with Previte has been ongoing since 2000.
She brought the group together in summer 2015 to Avatar Studio B in NYC to capture their breathtaking sound in both stereo and surround-sound with renowned audio engineer Jim Anderson. The album features twelve Bloom originals ranging from the rhythmic drive of "Song Patrol" and "Singing The Triangle" to the spare melancholy of "Mind Gray River." She closes the album with a signature solo rendition of the American songbook classic, Bernstein & Sondheim's "Somewhere." World-renowned portrait photographer Brigitte Lacombe contributes a stunning cover image of Bloom. "Playing in threes" has always held a special fascination for jazz artists - it offers the possibility that something can be slightly off balance and that's just what fires the imagination of players like Bloom, Helias, & Previte.
With Early Americans Jane Ira Bloom stands in the vanguard of her generation carving out new territory in the heart of the jazz tradition, Don't miss this trio of "fearless jazz explorers who share a commitment to beauty & adventure."
Soaring, poetic, quick silver, spontaneous and instantly identifiable are words used to describe the soprano sound of saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom. She's been steadfastly developing her singular voice on the straight horn for 35 years creating a body of music that marks her as an American original.
She's an eight-time winner of the Jazz Journalists Association Award for soprano sax, the Downbeat International Critics Poll, and the Charlie Parker Award for Jazz Innovation and has collaborated with such outstanding jazz artists as Charlie Haden, Ed Blackwell, Kenny Wheeler, Julian Priester, Mark Dresser, Jerry Granelli, Matt Wilson, Billy Hart and Fred Hersch. Her 2014 all-ballads release "Sixteen Sunsets" was nominated for a Grammy Award for surround-sound. In addition she's garnered numerous awards for her creativity including a Guggenheim Fellowship in music composition and the Mary Lou Williams Women In Jazz Award for lifetime service to jazz. JIB was the first musician commissioned by the NASA Art Program and was honored to have an asteroid named in her honor by the International Astronomical Union (asteroid 6083janeirabloom).
A strong visual thinker, Bloom's affinity for other art forms has both enriched her music and led to collaborations with other innovative artists such as actors Vanessa Redgrave & Joanne Woodward, painter Dan Namingha, cartoonist Jules Feiffer, director John Sayles and legendary dancer/ choreographer Carmen DeLavallade. Her long-standing interest in space exploration and neuroscience has lead to cutting edge recording projects inspired by outer and inner space. Performance venues include Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Dizzy's Club Jazz @ Lincoln Center, St. John the Divine Cathedral and the Einstein Planetarium in Washington DC.
She has composed several works commissioned through the Chamber Music America/ Doris Duke New Jazz Works Program including Chasing Paint, a series of compositions inspired by painter Jackson Pollock, Mental Weather, a suite of neuroscience inspired pieces, and recently Wild Lines, a jazz reimagining of Emily Dickinson's poetry that premiered at UMASS/ Amherst in the poet's hometown.
The subject of numerous media profiles on network television, on radio, and in major national magazines, JIB has recorded and produced 16 album projects since 1977 for CBS, Arabesque, ENJA, Pure Audio and Artistshare Records, and founded her own record label (Outline Records). A professor at the New School for Jazz in New York City, she holds degrees from Yale University, the Yale School of Music and continues to find inspiration merging her music with the world of arts and ideas."
I have re-posted my earlier review of Jane's Sixteen Sunsets as the featured blog in the side bar and the following video will provide you with a sampling of the music on the forthcoming Early Americans disc. The tune is entitled Rhyme or Rhythm.


text: The world of iBomber has gotten bigger and better! iBomber Defense combines classic tower defense gameplay with the intense action and strategy of the original iBomber games. Keep enemies at bay all over the world using a variety of weapons and tactics, from rattling Machine guns, explosive cannons and awesome anti-aircraft artillery!